Turbochargers for gasoline and diesel internal combustion engines are known devices used in the art for pressurizing or boosting the intake air stream, routed to a combustion chamber of the engine, by using the heat and volumetric flow of exhaust gas exiting the engine. Specifically, the exhaust gas exiting the engine is routed into a turbine housing of a turbocharger in a manner that causes an exhaust gas-driven turbine to spin within the housing.
The exhaust gas-driven turbine is mounted onto one end of a shaft that is common to a radial air compressor impeller mounted onto an opposite end of the shaft. Thus, rotary action of the turbine also causes the air compressor impeller to spin within a compressor housing of the turbocharger that is separate from the turbine housing. The spinning action of the air compressor impeller causes intake air to enter the compressor housing and be pressurized or boosted a desired amount before it is mixed with fuel and combusted within the engine combustion chamber.
The amount by which the intake air is boosted or pressurized can be controlled by regulating the amount of exhaust gas that is passed through the turbine housing by a wastegate and/or by one or more variable geometry members that are disposed within the turbocharger, such as those used in conventional variable geometry turbochargers. The wastegate and/or variable geometry members can be used to control the total amount of boosted air provided to the engine and/or to regulate the delivery of the same to control unwanted turbo lag.
Turbochargers used with internal combustion engines that are used with motor vehicles, such as cars or trucks or the like, are typically positioned within the engine compartment beneath an engine compartment hood, where the user of the car or truck is not easily exposed to the turbocharger. However, turbochargers are also placed into service with internal combustion engines that may not be protected or otherwise covered by an engine compartment hood. For example, turbochargers used with inboard-powered boats are placed on or near internal combustion engines that are mounted within the boat and that may or may not be covered at all. Also, turbochargers used with internal combustion engines used to power race cars are sometimes left exposed and are not covered.
Because the turbine housing of turbochargers are attached to the exhaust system of the internal combustion engine for receiving exhaust gas therefrom, during operation of the internal combustion engine the turbine housing and other attached components of the turbocharger can reach temperatures that are very hot, and that can easily burn a person that comes into contact with or that comes close to contacting the same. Such contact can be inadvertent or can be necessary, for example when the person is servicing or otherwise working on the turbocharger engine system.
Attempts in the past have been made to address the issue of protecting users from being burned or otherwise injured by the heat emitted from turbochargers, and have been embodied in the form of a wrap of blanket formed from a heat resistant material that is wrapped around the turbocharger. While such attempts had helped to insulate the hot turbocharger from direct contact by a user, the use of such material wraps or blankets can become detached from the turbocharger during operation, and are unsightly. Further, such wraps or blankets, while wrapping around a desired portion of a turbocharger, may cover certain actuating elements of a turbocharger, which coverage can interfere or impair the proper operation of the same. Additionally, in the event of an oil leak from the turbocharger, such wraps or blankets can become wetted and/or saturated and can provide a basis for a sustained fire.
It is therefore desired that a device be constructed that is configured in a manner that can shield or protect a user from the heat of a turbocharger. It is further desired that such device be constructed in a manner that provides a removable attachment with the turbocharger that will not become unintentionally detached. It is further desired that the device be configured in a manner that does not impair or otherwise interfere with the proper operation of any actuating elements of the turbocharger, and minimizes the possibility of a fire hazard. It is further desired that the device be constructed in a manner that does not detract from the overall appearance of the turbocharger engine system.